The Theme Of Tradition In 'First Confession'?

Trādō In society, tradition acts as the foundation for the treasured customs of every culture. Tradition plays a central role in two short stories: “First Confession,” written by Frank O’Connor, and “From Behind the Veil,” written by Dhu’l Nun Ayyoub. Following seven-year-old Jackie’s life in the Catholic faith, O’Connor portrays the main character’s struggle with the traditional ceremonies and values in his religion. In “From Behind the Veil,” Ayyoub explores the different meanings behind the Islamic custom of veiling in the eyes of Siham, a young Muslim girl. Originating from starkly different cultures, both “First Confession” and “From Behind the Veil” suggest that traditional beliefs may diminish in today’s society as a result of conflict

Madden brings attention to how “[Jackie’s] family cannot discern his sister’s obvious hypocrisy” (Madden). As a witness to how his sister’s religious semblance is only for show, Jackie feels the disconnect between truly upholding traditional values and playing pretend. After Nora cruelly teases him about his worries regarding the confessional, “[Jackie] remembered [the incident]...and wondered...[if] all religious people [were] like that” (O’Connor). O’Connor uses Nora’s act of keeping up appearances to show how her facade shakes Jackie’s faith. Depicted in how Jackie questions his family’s traditional values because of Nora, the disparity between one’s religious and one’s true self is evidence of the dwindling role of religion in modern

After breaking one of her traditional customs to secretly meet with a boy while still upholding the practice of veiling, Siham reveals her true thoughts when she proclaims, “‘You black shroud, you know how I despise you and make use of you...I defy you’” (Ayyoub). Although Siham continues to wear the customary veil, her devotion to the practice is purely superficial, allowing her to appear dedicated in spite of her quiet rebellion. Siham is only one of the many Muslim women who wear the veil in defiance; Nancy J. Hirschmann refers to how “the veil is both a marker of autonomy...and identity, and a marker of inequality and sexist oppression” (Hirschmann). As the embodiment of two opposing ideas, the practice of veiling exemplifies the rejection of tradition in favor of the individualistic views of the Muslim women who wear them. With disingenuous followers following their own hidden agendas, the collapse of long-held beliefs stems from the spread of their